Wakefield: Calls for archaeological dig at proposed battery farm site

The proposed energy storage site is currently farmland, but could become home to up to 60 battery containers

Plans to build a battery storage plant near Wakefield should be put on hold until an archaeological dig is carried out, a heritage body has said.

Harmony Energy wants to install the system at Heath to capture excess energy created from renewable sources.

West Yorkshire Archaeological Advisory Service (WYAAS) has urged Wakefield Council to ensure a full excavation of the site before granting permission.

The firm said it would review all consultation responses.

Battery storage sites aim to release the energy when demand rises and energy creation falls.

In Heath, if given the go-ahead, the 60 containers would hold lithium-ion batteries and be placed on what is currently farmland.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, a WYAAS report stated that the proposed site was in a location "potentially containing archaeological remains from the late prehistoric through Roman and medieval periods".

Archaeological finds from each of those historical eras have previously been found in an adjacent field, it said.

'Strong heritage value'

The report added: "The application site should be subject to an archaeological evaluation to fully identify its archaeological potential prior to determining the application.

"The evaluation should comprise a geophysical survey and the excavation of a number of trial trenches."

Wakefield Civic Society has also submitted an objection to the scheme, saying: "Although we generally welcome measures to improve energy efficiency and the security and self-sufficiency of energy supply through renewable sources, the main concern here is one of safety, with the proposed facility being so close to the village of Heath and also to the Heath Common Travellers' Site.

"Even if the safety concerns raised by local residents can be assuaged, there remain two further problems with the proposal: it is sited within the Green Belt and it is in an area with strong heritage value."

A spokesperson for Harmony Energy said the company would work with the council and consultees, including WYAAS, to address points raised by them.

They added: "As a nation, we need energy storage systems like this one proposed near Heath if we want to make the most of the huge potential offered by non-taxpayer funded renewables."